The Arcane Prison
by Alexx18
Summary: Lup almost feels whole again when her brother finds her, and she devises a plan to break out of her arcane prison. Her efforts to escape become more frantic as she senses Taako's adventures becoming consistently more dangerous. A closer look into what Lup went through while trapped in the Umbra Staff.
1. Chapter 1

Lup was trapped for over a decade, but she never felt "decade" was the proper word to use when describing that portion of her existence. More specifically, time just didn't seem to be the proper measurement to use. Lup wasn't sure time was relevant to her anymore. She was an elf, a species known to live for hundreds of years. She spent a century dying every year, only to come back to life in her original physical state. Then, she was trapped inside an Umbra Staff. Oh, and she was a lich. So, measuring life in time seemed a little silly to Lup, especially now that she was in her spectral form.

Lup didn't need anything — not sleep, food, or water. She didn't have a body, therefore she wasn't physically aging. When she first started gaining some form of consciousness in her arcane prison, she wasn't certain she existed at all. Lup's consciousness was trapped in…nothing. Nothing about her or anything around her was tangible. She struggled to keep her thoughts together as the darkness, the nothingness threatened to drive her mad.

Slowly, Lup started to regain her senses, her personality, and some memories here and there. It was a grueling task, so she didn't think of much else. That changed when Lup heard her brother's voice. When she heard Taako, Lup was finally able to comprehend that she could escape. This prison was not her world. There was a world beyond the endless black curtains, and her brother was there waiting for her. She would escape. But how?

Lup struggled to find a way to get Taako's attention. He couldn't hear her calling out to him. Not long after Taako found the Umbra Staff, Lup sensed that he was in distress. She used what little power she could muster to help him, but it wasn't enough. She succeeded in helping Taako defeat his opposition, but she still hadn't managed to make herself known. She needed to do something bigger.

Although Lup was overjoyed to be with her brother again, she decided to shut him out. She could still just barely feel Taako's presence just in case he needed her, but she stopped trying to listen to what he was doing. Extending her senses to the outside world required a lot of concentration which Lup could not spare as she began gathering magical energy. It was incredibly difficult and tedious, but it was the only way she'd be able to get Taako's attention.

For months, Lup focused on her task without interruptions. She'd stored quite a bit of power, but she knew it wasn't enough. As impatience started to get the better of her, Lup's focus occasionally faltered. She started to worry that she'd never escape. It became consistently more challenging to shake off the pessimistic thoughts creeping up on her. Not only was Lup exhausted, she was losing hope.

Regardless of her fear, exhaustion, and frustration, Lup refused to give up. She kept fighting as she always did, and she was pleasantly surprised to discover that Taako was able to help. Lup's concentration faltered when she felt a wave of unfamiliar magical power wash over her. She realized Taako must have defeated a magic user, so the Umbra Staff had absorbed their power and given it to Lup.

"Sick!" said Lup, smiling deviously as she stored the magic.

That extra magic was a really nice boost, but it was nothing compared to Taako's next contribution. Lup wasn't just interrupted, she was jolted as she was suddenly surrounded with electrifying arcane power. The magic flowed all around and within her, and as overwhelming as it was, Lup knew she could harness it. It was like riding a bike. For the first time since Lup had been trapped, she felt truly, wildly powerful. She felt like herself.

Lup laughed with glee as she released a monstrous fireball the likes of which Taako certainly had not meant to cast. Her confidence rushed back to her as she realized she'd been selling herself short. Lup was one of the most powerful wizards in the planar system. The only reason this trap was so difficult to escape was because she designed it, and Lup knew she would find a way out of it.

From then on, Lup stored the power necessary for her plan at a much faster rate. Her focus was unbreakable save for one fleeting moment when Lup felt a spike of dark, magical power. The magic was familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She extended her senses to the world outside the Umbra Staff, but the source of the power had already disappeared.

This certainly wasn't the first time Lup had felt some weird energy around. Taako was clearly getting into some weird shit, but that wasn't the least bit surprising to his sister. Something about this magic was different, though. It wasn't just familiar to her…Lup felt like it was a part of her somehow. After it disappeared, Lup felt an emotion she couldn't remember ever feeling while trapped in the Umbra Staff - pain.


	2. Chapter 2

About a year had passed since Taako found the Umbra Staff, and Lup was getting antsy. After months of preparation and harnessing every ounce of power she could muster, she'd managed to take control of the Umbra Staff. She drew her fucking name with a scorching ray, but it didn't work. Her plan failed, and it nearly destroyed her.

"What does that - What is L-U-P?"

Lup fell to her knees as she heard her brother's reaction. Taako didn't know her name? Was this a terrible joke? No, Taako's humor had always been far more tasteful, and there was no mistaking the confusion in his voice.

For the first time since she'd been trapped, Lup felt sick. Her head was spinning as she tried to comprehend Taako's response. She'd built an image of the world to which she belonged, but it was beginning to fall apart. Her senses started to leave her. The black-curtained space started to turn into nothingness once more.

Taako didn't know who she was. Had she made it all up somehow? Was this actually her brother, or had she just convinced herself of that when he picked up the Umbra Staff? Was she on a different plane? What difference would that make? Was her name even Lup?

There was nothing but darkness for a long while. Lup's consciousness faded in and out. It wasn't exactly like her time in the Umbra Staff when she was originally trapped. Back then, Lup had to re-learn how to exist. She had to come to the realization that she was a being, not just a collection of thoughts intertwined with magic. This time, Lup knew she existed, but she had no idea where. If Taako didn't know who she was, it was simply impossible that this was her world. Taako would not forget her.

Lup slowly put herself back together over the next few days. The black curtains returned, and she began meditating and storing up power again, but she didn't know what for. She needed to calm down before she tried to figure out what her next steps should be. Lup could still hear Taako speak on occasion, but she tried to tune him out.

It wasn't long before Lup's concentration was interrupted by a sudden warmth - not metaphorical warmth, but actual heat. Even though she'd decided not to pay attention to what was going on in the outside world, her curiosity got the better of her. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to fully sense Taako's presence once more.

She could feel Taako's heart pounding. He was trying to make a decision, but he didn't have much time. Lup closed her eyes and focused on the source of the heat. It was fire. A lot of fire.

"Just relax, we're gonna get you outside," said Taako, and relief washed over Lup as she could feel the heat of the flames become less intense.

"You guys talk to her and figure out what's going on!"

Lup recognized Magnus' voice this time and she furrowed her brow. What was going on? Though she'd been momentarily relieved that Taako had escaped whatever fire he'd been caught in, Lup could feel that Taako was still worried. In fact, he was downright terrified.

Suddenly, Lup felt the most unbearable pain she'd ever experienced. She couldn't think - she couldn't focus on anything beyond the agony she was experiencing. Lup looked down half expecting to see a blade sticking out of her chest, but then remembered she didn't even have a body. Sure, she'd visualized some sort of form in this space of hers, but she did not have a tangible body. She shouldn't feel anything…

As Lup had that thought, she realized she couldn't feel Taako anymore. He was gone.

"N-no. No no no." Lup frantically ran forward into the mass of black curtains. She knew there was no end. The curtains wouldn't ever stop, but she had to do something.

"Taako! Please! Please don't be gone! No no no — TAAKO!" Lup shouted in panic.

She tried to think of what she could do, a spell she could cast, something, anything, but she was interrupted by a jarring voice. It sounded closer than anything Lup had heard since she'd been trapped. It was like someone had joined her inside the Umbra Staff, but she didn't feel any sort of presence.

"Oh, you'll have to do much better than that, loves."

The moment the old woman had finished her sentence, Lup could feel Taako again. She collapsed with relief as she listened to Taako, Magnus, and Merle approach Roswell for the second time. Lup wasn't quite sure what happened, but after the agony she'd just felt she was certain of one thing. There was no mistaking that connection. That was definitely her Taako.

As Taako and his friends died and came back to life over and over again, Lup paced. She thought back to every muffled voice she'd heard, every presence she'd ever felt while trapped in the Umbra Staff. In the beginning, she could only really hear Taako. Over time, Magnus' and Merle's voices became less muffled. Lup could occasionally understand them, but she couldn't sense them the way she could sense Taako. Once or twice she caught what sounded like Lucretia's voice, but it never lasted long.

Her team - her family - still seemed to be working together. It was different, though. Taako, Magnus, and Merle were going on missions without the others. What were they even doing? It didn't seem like they were ever on the Star Blaster…and where was Barry? Lup missed him so much it hurt, and she knew how distraught he must be over her disappearance. She assumed Barry must have been looking for her, but why hadn't he checked in with Taako? Why wouldn't he ask Taako for help?

Lup deeply regretted spending so much time focusing on storing her power. Not only did her plan fail, but she could have been paying attention to what was going on around her instead. Lup spent hours trying to turn her memories of muffled voices into something useful. She hardly even noticed the recklessness happening around her as her brother and her friends fumbled around the time-sick town—

The time-sick town.

Lup remembered. She'd tracked it down as she'd tracked all the others. The chalice Magnus had created to house his piece of the Light of Creation was there in Refuge. Were they hunting the pieces down like she'd started to all those years ago?

She had a lot figured out, but Lup knew there were still gaping holes she had to fill. Some of those holes were likely within her own memory. After her memories of the relics rushed back to her, Lup realized there was probably a lot about her life that she had not yet remembered. For obvious reasons, Lup had never considered what would happen to an individual's memories if their consciousness was sucked into the Umbra Staff. Regardless, over ten years had passed and Lup still couldn't recall everything about her life. It was disheartening to say the least.

When the boys dramatically escaped Refuge, Lup listened intently. Maybe if she really focused, she could possibly hear Lucretia more clearly, maybe even figure out where their base was.

"Did you retrieve the cup?"

His voice struck Lup like a bolt of lightning. For a moment, her senses went wildly out of control. She couldn't hear or visualize anything. She could only feel the presence she hadn't felt in a decade. She had no idea what form her existence had taken. All that was left of her could only focus on her desire to be near him again.

It was Magnus who snapped Lup out of it when she heard him say, "You're the Red Robe right? You're one of the bad guys."

Lup's consciousness ceased spinning into a whirlpool of emotion as she tried to comprehend Magnus' words.

"I need to know - do you trust me?" she heard Barry say.

Lup echoed Barry's pain as she heard the boys' resounding cries of, "Hell no!"

"You're fucking popping up in a red robe like Satan, you're speaking Parseltongue-"

Yeah, that was definitely Taako out there. But seriously, what the fuck was going on? Why wouldn't they trust Barry? Why wouldn't they know who he is? Why-

Lup's thoughts were interrupted by a powerful, frightening energy. It was coming from Barry. She recognized it instantly as the familiar spike of dark magic she'd felt so recently. This wasn't the first time Barry had visited the boys, and it wasn't the first time he'd come close to losing himself either.

To become liches, they'd combined their souls with raw, magical power. Keeping their minds together without losing sight of who they were was no easy feat. Lup had nearly lost herself a couple times, but she was trapped. Even when her mind was nearly lost, it had nowhere to go.

Barry's struggle was different than hers, and Lup could feel it. She didn't understand it completely, but she could feel the length of what Barry had been through. His journey had not been easy. It pained her to feel how distraught he was, to feel anything left of his human essence slipping away.

"Barry!" Lup called out desperately. She knew this was impossible. There was no way he could hear her, but she had to try.

"Barry, stay with me, okay? I'm here! I promise, I'm here! You're doing so well, dear. Please don't give up now," said Lup, her voice shaking slightly.

Lup stared into the black curtains as if Barry was just on the other side. She wanted nothing more than to tear the curtains down, take his face into her hands, look into his eyes and plead with him. If she could just be with him, she knew he'd be able to hold onto who he was. Lup could only imagine how he felt. She'd been gone for so long.

"I didn't mean to leave you," whispered Lup.

A moment later, she could feel the terrifying energy start to diminish. She listened apprehensively and for the first time in ten years, she heard Barry say her name.

"Lup, they don't trust me. I can't do it anymore, Lup. I'm sorry."

It felt like someone was putting her heart through a meat grinder. Hearing Barry's defeated voice was unbearable. Lup had never felt more useless, and it was infuriating. Why was he apologizing to her? She didn't even understand what was going on!

None of that mattered, though. Right now, Barry needed Lup. She'd figure out the rest later.

"Yes you can, babe. I need you to hang on for me. You have nothing to be sorry for. These three are a handful. I'm sure you've been planning and plotting and they're definitely, definitely shitting all over those plans, but that's just what they do. They'll come around."

Lup had no idea if Barry was hearing anything she'd been saying, and she didn't know if what she was saying would've been helpful in the first place. She was in danger of losing the love of her life forever, and all she could do was shout into the void.

Suddenly, Lup heard Barry's voice again, "The next time we meet, I will need you to trust me completely and absolutely. Otherwise, all of this will have been for nothing. The Hunger is almost here. And when it arrives, this world will be lost," and then he was gone.


End file.
